Sandy M’s review of Breath of Fire by Tammy Kane
Paranormal Romance published by Love Spell 30 Jun 09

Wow. I’ve found a brand new author who is now on my auto-buy list after her debut book. This book has it all. It kept me reading, turning page after page, couldn’t put it down, it was terrific to the very last word. Yeah, all of those phrases that readers and reviewers use over and over again when describing a book they love. And add in any others you can think of.

Karl is a Mattaen initiate, men trained as warriors to defend those in need, and he is just days away from taking his final vows on his 30th birthday when he tries to stop the ridiculous sacrifice of a virgin to the dragon that is terrifying a village. Everyone knows dragons don’t exist. Right? So Karl trades himself to take the place of the frightened girl. Initiates are virgins too, so he’s the logical choice. The next thing he knows is all hell breaks loose as huge rumblings rent the air and the earth and he’s fighting for his life against a nonexistent beast. Dragons are definitely real.

Needing a virgin to breathe her life essence into and complete the bond needed to claim her mate and help her rule her world, to keep it from internal destruction, Elera seizes the opportunity that presents itself during her ruse to keep villagers believing in dragons. The man who wants to rule Verteva, as well as Elera herself, is not the man she believes will save them, and since it’s her choice of mate that will proclaim him king, she’s doing her own choosing. Leaving Karl the clues he needs to find her and Verteva, she leaves him after a night of intense loving and broken vows.

His celibacy at an end, along with the life he’s worked so hard for, Karl begins the arduous journey to find the woman who now fills his thoughts to the exclusion of everything else. He arrives just in time to keep her from the arms and bed of another man, a rival who could be his destruction as well as Verteva’s. He has no desire to be king, but Karl’s desire and lust slowly turn to love for Elera and her people, and to stay means he would have to rule. Even those dragons that grace the sky around their cloud-like world have found a place in his heart. Surviving the hatred and greed of the man who wants to be king is another matter, however, and Karl and Elera end up fighting for the lives of everyone, man and beast alike.

Ms. Kane has created such a fantasy world where dragons and their riders have a connection to communicate by feelings and thoughts, where one breath can bind souls together forever, and where other beautiful and miraculous happenings occur. Even the dragons themselves are fascinating. The bull that Elera rides is the only male in Verteva, tolerates only female touch, and has a bevy of beauties he cares for. The scenes where Elera is frightened and in trouble, her dragon bulldozing his way through anything and everything to get to her are simply stupendous. There is action galore, loyalty divided, and the love and romance will work its magic on you.

If you haven’t read Breath of Fire yet, as the saying goes, run – do not walk! – run to your nearest bookstore and buy it today. It’s worth every hard-earned penny and then some.

Grade:  A+

Summary:
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When the dragon came to claim him, Karl knew his great plan had gone horribly wrong. If he had known the creature was real, he wouldn’t have scoffed at the villagers… and he certainly wouldn’t have been so quick to let them chain him to a rock. Mattaen Initiates trained as warriors, but no man could defeat a dragon.
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“My name is Elera, daughter of Shane. And you, Initiate, are my virgin prize.”
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She had vanquished the beast and named her price: one night with the virgin sacrifice she’d saved. He’d taken a vow of chastity, but Karl still had a man’s needs—and Elera’s sultry curves made him ache to taste his first woman. With one scorching kiss she shattered his defenses… and led him into a world of deception and seduction, where he’d be forced to choose between the brotherhood that had raised him and the woman whose courage set his heart on fire.
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Read an excerpt here.